Role of Climate in Polygenic Burozem Formation in Coast-Island Zone of Southern Primorye
Boris F. Pshenichnikov1, M.S. Lyashchevskaya2, N.F. Pshenichnikova2
1Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia 2Pacific Institute of Geography FEB RAS Russia 33Ammosov’s North-Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk, 677980, Russia
Biodiversity present-day state and dynamics depend greatly on the condition of a complex natural ecosystem – the soil. Soil cover changes are tightly connected with climate change as illustrated by polygenic burozem formation. The polygenic burozems under study form on red residual soil in the coast-island zone of southern Primorye (coasts of Spaseniya Bay, Popov Island, Rikord Island, Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula). The upper part of the burozem profile represents recent soil that formed on buried relic residual soil.
This research shows that the polygenic burozem specific morphologic structure, physical-chemical properties, spore-pollen spectra of each genetic horizon, formation and age of the horizons are in many respects the result of the past and present-day climate change.
Palynological data prove that both horizon C and the lower part of horizon BMC formed in the Atlantic period of Mesoholocene (Rikord Island – 4530±180 cal yr. (LU-7127), Popov Island – 5230±250 cal yr. (LU-7462), the warmer-than-present climatic conditions triggering clay and kaolin deposition in the burozem soil mass. The burozem spore-pollen spectra of the period represent thermophilic species such as Carpinus Cordata.
Horizons AYBM, AYEL, and AY formed in colder climatic conditions of the Sub-Boreal period of the early Neoholocene (1550±110 cal yr. ((LU-5763)). The soil mass of the horizons is highly skeletal due to active soilfluction at the period. The spore-pollen spectra represent Betula fruticosa.
Leaf litter horizon O formed in the period of the present-day climate warming, and the horizon spore-pollen spectrum represents plant species, characteristic of the period.